The Republicans

The Republicans (LR) is a conservative and Gaullist political party in France, founded on 30 May 2015 by President Nicolas Sarkozy. The party was the legal successor to the Union for a Popular Movement, and its name change was criticized by many French opposition figures, who claimed that all believers in French democracy are "republicans", not just French conservatives. The party followed the political views of Charles de Gaulle, and it supported discrimination against France's minority groups, as it banned the wearing of hijabs in public and any signs that indicated the religion of France's citizens. In 2016, the party held 199/577 National Assembly seats, 144/348 Senate seats, 19/74 European Parliament seats, 7/13 Regional Council seats, and 66/101 Department Council seats.